Archive for the ‘pregnancy’ Category

Yes, I am still pregnant, no I am not being induced. No, I am not answering any more questions about my pregnancy. Yes, I am annoyed…beyond so with random people saying they thought/hoped our baby would be here by now. No, it is not ok to pry when you don’t even know me when I am in my own driveway.

I have several signs that labor is “near”, but it hasn’t happened. I am doing my best to try and stay positive and let it all be in God’s hands.

Sorry, this is a vent fest. My mood is not so great, if it wasn’t obvious already. GamerDad and I are very tired of the obvious question(s). Yes, he is getting prodded at work now too. He obviously wouldn’t be there if our daughter was born. We’ve both had enough of it.

I probably will not post again until after she is born. I do not plan on getting detailed or post pics here because of a certain follower who I’d rather not have follow me at all. If I knew how to block I would. It’d be much easier if said person would just unfollow me and just stop reading my blog, period. The purpose of this blog is to help inform women on pregnancy/pregnancy loss, etc. It is not for people to get their jollies off because they have a thing for pregnant women.

Sorry this post is so late! With the weekly appointments after I hit a new week, it throws things off. We were also blessed with a visit over the weekend of one of my closest friends.

Before she got here, she had a dream that we all went for a walk and I had to deliver in a neighbor’s yard with GamerDad “catching.” We did go for that walk, but not even a twinge happened, just swollen fingers. Luckily, a cold bath (yes, cold), and a cold shower got them back to regular pregnancy sized fingers.

We hit up the farmer’s market and a teeny tiny craft and food fair (it was made out to be larger than it actually was). The “food” was kettlecorn…:/ We settled on a pub like place for lunch and all of our tummies were happy. It also prompted nap time for all of us!

She left in the wee hours of the morning the next day and we got a box ready for her forgotten things that hid in the dark. Church that day was great, we got to sing again. It was met with a ton of “you’re still here/pregnant, how’s your cervix, etc.” Yes, I did get asked about my cervix at church. However, I did answer honestly that I did not know because I have been declining the checks. Boy did that get me a sideways look!

Yesterday was the 38wk appointment. Quite uneventful again. My BP was good, but not as low as I usually am. Granted, our youngest was spinning around on the doctor’s stool and trying to climb in my lap/fall off the chair/other crazy things that 3 year olds think is cool…
My OB confirmed she is head down and gently noted most women get a cervix check now so they know when they go to L&D if there is any change. I looked at him and said, “No, kinda pointless and gives false hope.” He stopped asking after that. He also asked if I still plan on letting labor occur naturally. Yep, the EDD is not an “eviction due date” it is -estimated-. Despite the discomfort of Prodromal labor (yay, 3.5 weeks of that now…), mood swings, achy pelvis, sore chest, and all the rest, I am content to let her bake as long as she needs. Sure, I was expecting her to come a tiny bit early like her brothers, but I think she is teaching me patience. I never seem to have enough patience. 😉

The text messages have started now too, asking if I have made any progress and such. I am trying to not get annoyed by all of it as I just want peace in these last couple (or few) weeks. However, I still want to do my normal things without getting gawked at like my water will break at any second. This is why I could never be in the spotlight. I don’t like feeling like I am under a microscope. Just trust my husband and I, we will keep those that need to know in the know whenever things do progress beyond Prodromal. Then everyone else will know -after- she is born. I will not be posting from the delivery table. Some women do that, good for them. I want to take time to breathe in that newborn smell, hold her little hands, nurse her, nuzzle her, and just love on her in peace with my husband at my side. In that moment, that’s all that will matter to me, my ever growing family.

This weekend was packed full of fun. First off, GamerDad returned, yay! 😀
Saturday we decided to do some spontaneous fun stuff with the kiddos. The first being a Hobo fest at the local railway. To us grown ups and early birds to the event, it was rather blah. However, the boys loved climbing up to the train cars and going inside of them as well as the engines. I remained on the ground snapping photos.

The second event was a fest just for kids. There were bounce houses galore, backpack give aways, coloring books, bean planting, etc. Elmo even dropped by to our youngest’s great delight!

Despite the wicked heat, we all remained well hydrated. Hubby took my cue when it was time to be done. I over heat easily, more so when pregnant and my water was gone. I swear I hugged the A/C vents on the way home!

The boys went to nap that day and hubby and I relaxed together. Now, on and off through the day I had prodromal labor. They were very sporadic. However, as I read an amusing blog post of a male’s perspective on labor/birth to my hubby, I had timeable/take my breath away contractions. I’d read a bit and go, “oh another one.” Poor hubby was uncertain if it was the blog or me. Eventually, we worked out a cue thing. They were 3-4 min apart at that point. Once the blog was all read, we kicked into gear. I made sure I had my chargers ready to pack, shoved in a few more breast pads to my bag, texted a great friend that we’d need her to watch the boys, and texted our doula. Within all that, the boys woke up and we told them to get ready. I grabbed their blankets and such just in case…and tossed in a bag of chicken nuggets. Oh the crap that you worry about when you feel contractions!! At this point they were every 2-3 minutes.

We headed out the door and I called registration. I got transferred about three times and got the, “it has only been an hour. How about you try drinking…” I cut the nurse off, explaining that I drink no less than a gallon of water a day, that I was relaxing when the contractions started, that they were getting closer together and stronger, and that our youngest came within 55 minutes of my first contraction. She kinda hushed up her rehearsed speal after that.

FFW a bit and we are at the hospital. I get checked. Still high, posterior, and at a 1. However, my cervix is now soft, yay! I felt rather disappointed when the nurse came in with two ice waters for me. That told me right then that this was more Prodromal labor, that I’d be going home with baby girl in my belly and not my arms. I kept getting reassured that I was not stupid for coming in, but I couldn’t help but feel that way. It also felt as though my body was failing me in a way. Yes, I know it is my body prepping for the big day, but it is rather frustrating when the contractions feel very much like the real deal and nothing comes of it. We were there for two hours. Contractions were still there and remained with me until I forced myself to sleep. All my other relaxation methods failed.

Today was my 37wk appointment. Totally uneventful. I think the most exciting part was when I handed over this:

It is my thank you basket I put together for the OB staff. I have one for L&D as well, but I wanted to hand over this one today as who knows when I will go into labor, etc. It is stuffed with various teas and home made lime and blueberry pound cakes. I love my OB team and wanted them to know it! Side note, my group B Strep test was negative. Wahoo! Granted, I have never tested positive for it anyway, so no real surprise there.
Providing little miss is not born over the weekend, I go in again a week from today. It feels pointless to show up every week to pee, get weighed, get the heart beat of baby (ok, that is the best part), and my fundal height measured. I do know it all has a purpose but it feels so drab. Sure, more excitement/disappointment could be added if I opted for the cervical checks but I just want to go with the flow.

I feel prepared because her blanket is done. Now all the yarn is out of her crib. Freezer meals are prepped and muffins made for easy breakfasts. We just need her. 🙂

God Bless!

P.S. This little lady is beating her biggest brother’s record with Prodromal labor.

According to several sources 37 weeks pregnant is full term. Back with YDS (four years ago), 38 weeks was full term and that is when he was born.

Today I hit 37 weeks. Prodromal is a near every day occurrence now, more so since GamerDad is back home. The day he got back we went to dinner and within minutes of us getting back, baby girl dropped. Yes, this amps up the discomfort of the now near permanent sciatica, waddling, stubbed toe, and general misery the last few weeks bring. Her dropping means nodda since this is my third full term pregnancy.

I know the longer she bakes the better, but I so desperately want her out. Her movements feel like she is so crammed and ready for more room. It is like she is trying to push through my abdomen. Then I get the frustrated punches from her that she cannot quite squirm to where she wants to be.

Right now I am very thankful she stayed put until GamerDad got back from his TDY. I am more relaxed now that he is back too. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I enjoyed a bath. Man did that feel nice! Hubby also went grocery shopping for me as that was a chore I hated to do alone with the boys. It got harder the further along I got.

Yesterday we prepped one of the freezer meals that will be used when I am in the hospital, ham and hash brown casserole. Today I will prep another freezer meal for them, baked spaghetti. It makes sense to do that one today since spaghetti is on the menu anyway. I just have to make twice as much and grate some mozzarella on top and it is good to go. One more meal to prep like that and we should be good. I might do more should time permit so I can have easy go-to meals when I get back home with our daughter.

Tip for the freezer meals: line your baking pan with foil, pour prepped meal in, top with more foil and freeze for 24 hrs. Pop the foil pack out of the baking dish, label the packet and stack in the freezer. This way your baking dish remains clean and ready to go for either more freezer prep or for baking the freezer meal.

Week 36 starts tomorrow, but I wanted to get a jump in it while my mind is functioning.

First off, I can still fit in this:

Yeah, itty bitty shower that I swore my 7mo I would no longer be able to fit in. Somehow I am still able to contort myself in there and shave my legs.

I do not fit in my cute maternity top from Old Navy anymore. I LOVED that shirt. It was white with orange and red flowers adorning the belly and the centers had glued on sequins (not of the hideous variety). Yesterday I attempted to wear it. Big mistake! I wasn’t going anywhere and didn’t plan on anyone coming over either, so I left it on, bottom two inches of my belly hanging out.

Yeah…so my landlord came by with the electric bill and I am scrambling around the house trying to find my hiding checkbook and constantly tugging down my shirt or trying to hike up my shorts (I have no rear end to speak of, so my belly pushes all pants down). Not cute. After that gets taken care of, UPS guy shows up. Spaghetti also got all over it. The shirt is now no more. It saddened me, but it had to go.

On a different note, I hate being lazy! Since last week’s fun with Prodromal labor, I was told to be lazy. That worked up until Tuesday and I had to clean, -had- to. It is not that my house was a disaster, just little things that make my nesting urges go insane and I gotta get my cleaning fix. Yeah, sounds like withdrawal doesn’t it? Is there a cleaners anonymous? Lol!

My mood needs an adjustment though. I have been feeling dragon like. No doubt the stress of baby coming soon and raising two boys alone for the past 7 weeks while huge pregnant and in the hellish heat of a Texas summer is wearing me down. I very much want to jump on the Orange Rhino (the no yelling) bandwagon. Yesterday our oldest was great at doing stuff to help out, but if I asked him not to do something he’d blatantly ignore me and resume whatever it was he wasn’t supposed to be doing. By the end of the day I had enough. I read their bedtime stories, tucked them in, and said I loved them. Not but 10 minutes later a kiddo came rushing out of their room. I inhaled deeply, pointed to his bed, tucked him back in, and left without a word. Usually, I’d say in a firm tone to stay in bed or something along those lines but I was disappointed in me by that point and I am moving to make that change.
Perhaps saying a Hail Mary or Glory Be will help tame the dragon and allow me to Orange Rhino and stick with it. Retraining yourself is no easy task, but I am up for the task. I do not like it when the dragon bursts out. Time to let it fly free and away from me.

First off, what the heck is Prodromal labor?? That lovely blue link will tell it all to ya.

Now why on Earth did I have anything to do with it? Well, yesterday afternoon I was contently crocheting the baby blanket when I felt a contraction. Not BH. I crocheted a bit more after chugging a glass of water and I got another one. At this point I got the timer going on my phone. Yes, I used a contraction counter app. By the time the 3rd and 4th one occurred I contacted my awesome military friends, my doula, and OB office. One came to get the boys, the other came to get me, the OB nurse said to wait an hour and drink more water as well as walk around. I had already had a gallon of water at that point. In 45 min, I downed another half gallon. My doula was already on shift as a nurse at the hospital. Oh, and by this point I had the runs a couple of times. Having been to this rodeo before, I know that is a sign of my body gearing up for the real thing.
Yes, I was a crying mess. I grabbed my St Gerard medal and kept rubbing it to calm down. I also texted my landlady because she is also a designated helper should little miss come before GamerDad returns. Not but a couple minutes later, my landlord was at my front door, just in case my contractions picked up. They were, closer to four minutes apart at this point than the close to five minutes the hour prior. He stayed with me until my friend arrived to drive me to L&D.
As we drove, Mom called. My heart sank…what do I tell her?! I blurted it out and she instantly worried and let me go so she could call family. Then we were there at L&D. It was so nice to see Tammy’s, my doula, smiling face soon as we got there.
I got to do the fun pee in the tiniest cup ever and change into the ever sexy hospital gown. 😛 Soon as the monitors got hooked up, little miss kicked them. She did not want stuff around her territory. Feisty gal, we will have our hands full! Her big brothers better watch out!
Then came my least favorite part, the cervix check. My contractions amped up at that point. I was asked what my pain level was on a scale of 1-10. I mentioned (my doula told them this earlier too) that I have a high pain tolerance and that I was probably at a 4/5. The machine showed I was having contractions, not evenly spaced. My heart rate was high at first and calmed down soon as I got the music going from my phone. God and my late father are awesome, first two songs were Eagles. My heart rate went right down to where it needed to be. Behold, the power of music!
I had let my hubby and our FRG leader know what was going on and our commander and his wife showed up. They know hubby is away for just a little while longer and want to help get him home faster. We shall see what happens. I would much rather him stay at his school and graduate than send him home just to repeat the course all over again. Hubby agrees with that too. Oh, I also got to meet a fellow crunchy Catholic mom who also happens to be one of the fine lactation consultants at the hospital. She looks like she could be my sister and we have so many similarities it isn’t funny!
Anyway, after three hours hooked up and another cervix check, it was determined that I was merely having practice labor (Prodromal). The very same sort of labor I had for 2 weeks with our oldest.
Am I sure my body isn’t doing the real thing? Yes, my cervix remained at 1cm, 25% effaced. It is also posterior, as in, not in the position it will be in for birth.
I was ordered to have a glass of wine. Once I was released, my friend and I went to Carinos and I got a glass of Riesling. Man, that really hit the spot and my contractions stopped.
Right now I feel really blessed. My other friend has my boys still. It has been eerily quiet through the night and my body instinctively woke up when they usually do. Hence, why I am on here, had to spill my brain to try and sleep some more.
Do not believe all the crap you see on Army Wives or those “reality” shows. Military wives really take care of each other. We know that when a friend is in need to be right there and do what we are asked to do without question. Usually I am the one dropping plans and helping out. It was strange being on the receiving end this time, but I am forever grateful. Last night I felt bad that it was all “false labor” but after sleeping on it, I see that the system works. Not only my support network, but my body works just swimmingly too.
Here’s too a less eventful week.

This week I was mostly good. I may have spent nearly all energy on Monday cleaning two rooms instead of one. The rest of the week I focused on one room or a couple of smaller chores and felt wiped out afterwards. This is where I am thankful that the boys mostly play well together. Key word, mostly. Granted, the Full Moon is just around the corner and that usually disrupts their normal behavior for about a week before hand.

Speaking of moons, it is quite the topic on the larger birth board I tend to shy away from. Some women are about 38 weeks on that board and hope Monday’s Full Moon will kick things into high gear. Meanwhile, I decided to Google the moons the boys were born under. Both of them were born under the First Quarter moon. If little miss does the same, that means August 14th. Hubby and I weren’t born under the Full Moon either, so it will be interesting to wait and see when she will come.

My energy is not the only thing to have slowed. My bowels, yes, I went there. Since when am I not candid? Despite consuming more coconut oil and adding flax seed to nearly everything I am having the opposite problem as I did the entire rest of the pregnancy. I am hoping a fiber filled smoothie will help that problem as Spaghetti Carbonera is on the menu for tonight’s DnD game (i.e. Lots and lots of ooey, gooey cheese and spaghetti noodles). This week I even resorted to eating prunes. How did those even get in my house?! I am not old!!! Oh yeah, our three year old picked them out at the store.

How’s the belly? As huge as I feel, it isn’t that huge at all. My bust is at 40in and my “waist” is now 43in.

Baby’s position? She is head down for now. Lately she is the hiccup queen and I find her head showed into my left pelvis. If I rest my hand at the center of my pelvis, she will squirm over, become less agitated, and her hiccups fade. Glad I know how to soothe her already. Usually hiccups send her into a huge hissy fit to where she will flip many times and I give up trying to figure out where she is.

Cravings? None really. This week should also be dubbed the week of the lost appetite. Her butt is wedged so high up that I rarely feel hungry, I just feel blah.

How are you sleeping? Like crap. Everyday I wake up at 2/3am to pee and then I cannot get back to sleep for about another hour or so. Then the boys wake up at 6/6:30 and I nurse my coffee mug as I sleepily prepare breakfast. I do try to nap too, but that does not always happen…mostly when our oldest decides that napping is not for him on a particular day. 😛

Handling the summer heat? Yep, it is called A/C! Ok, that and we were blessed with four days of rain. It will warm back up into the 90s this week. I am just glad triple digits are not in the forecast. Those are the days I wish we had a pool.

Walking? It is called a waddle and it is very pronounced now. She hasn’t dropped but I know that day is coming soon and I will have an even more awkward time just getting up to go to the bathroom.

How’s the baby blanket coming along? Like crap! I tore it out earlier this week and went at it again. Yesterday I discovered I messed up waaaaay farther back than I initially thought…like half this yarn ball and half the previous one away. Should I leave it and hope my daughter appreciates the imperfections of the blanket like she will accept my own imperfections or try to make it near as perfect as possible? I am opting to get close to perfection. I admit, the blanket is what kept my mind running last night when I got up for my nightly potty break.

Anyway, time to get grub in us all. May you all have a blessed weekend.